Connector, connector system, and method for assembling connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2026045751-A1
Application number	US-202519361010-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 17, 2025
Priority date	Apr 21, 2023
Publication date	Feb 12, 2026
Grant date	—

Abstract

A connector is configured to mate with a counterpart connector along a mating orientation. The connector includes: a plurality of pairs of conductive first contacts arranged along an arrangement orientation perpendicular to the mating orientation and configured to be respectively connected to a plurality of pairs of first insulated wires; a plurality of pairs of conductive second contacts arranged parallel to the plurality of pairs of first contacts in an orthogonal orientation perpendicular to the mating orientation and the arrangement orientation, and configured to be respectively connected to a plurality of pairs of second insulated wires; a plurality of conductive first shells surrounding the plurality of pairs of first contacts pair by pair around the mating orientation; and a plurality of conductive second shells surrounding the plurality of pairs of second contacts pair by pair around the mating orientation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A connector configured to be connected to a plurality of pairs of first insulated wires and a plurality of pairs of second insulated wires and to mate with a counterpart connector along a mating orientation, the connector comprising:
a plurality of pairs of conductive first contacts arranged along an arrangement orientation perpendicular to the mating orientation and configured to be respectively connected to the plurality of pairs of first insulated wires; a plurality of pairs of conductive second contacts arranged parallel to the plurality of pairs of first contacts in an orthogonal orientation perpendicular to the mating orientation and the arrangement orientation, and configured to be respectively connected to the plurality of pairs of second insulated wires; a plurality of conductive first shells surrounding the plurality of pairs of first contacts pair by pair around the mating orientation; and a plurality of conductive second shells surrounding the plurality of pairs of second contacts pair by pair around the mating orientation.

2 . The connector according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of first shells comprises an opening oriented away from the plurality of pairs of second contacts, and
wherein each of the plurality of second shells comprises an opening oriented away from the plurality of pairs of first contacts.

3 . The connector according to claim 1 , wherein the counterpart connector comprises:
a plurality of pairs of conductive counterpart first contacts, wherein the plurality of pairs of first contacts respectively contact the plurality of pairs of counterpart first contacts in a mated state where the connector is mated with the counterpart connector; a plurality of pairs of conductive counterpart second contacts, wherein the plurality of pairs of second contacts respectively contact the plurality of pairs of counterpart second contacts in the mated state; and a plurality of counterpart shells surrounding the plurality of pairs of counterpart first contacts and the plurality of pairs of counterpart second contacts, wherein each of the plurality of counterpart shells surrounds one pair of counterpart first contacts and one pair of counterpart second contacts, wherein the plurality of counterpart shells are configured to accommodate the plurality of pairs of first contacts and the plurality of pairs of second contacts in the mated state, wherein each of the plurality of counterpart shells accommodates one pair of first contacts and one pair of second contacts, and wherein a first shell surrounding the pair of first contacts and a second shell surrounding the pair of second contacts are accommodated in the counterpart shell in the mated state and comprise a partition portion that partitions an interior of the counterpart shell into a first accommodation space and a second accommodation space, wherein the pair of first contacts and the pair of counterpart first contacts are accommodated in the first accommodation space, and the pair of second contacts and the pair of counterpart second contacts are accommodated in the second accommodation space.

4 . The connector according to claim 3 , wherein the partition portion comprises a pair of shell contact portions that are oriented away from each other in the arrangement orientation, and each of the shell contact portions is configured to contact an inner surface of the counterpart shell in the mated state.

5 . The connector according to claim 3 , wherein each of the first shell and the second shell comprises the partition portion, and
wherein the first accommodation space and the second accommodation space are doubly partitioned by the partition portion of the first shell and the partition portion of the second shell.

6 . The connector according to claim 5 , wherein the first shell comprises an opening oriented away from the second shell and the second shell comprises an opening oriented away from the first shell,
wherein each of the pair of first contacts comprises a first contact portion that contacts a respective one of the one pair of counterpart first contacts in a direction away from the second shell, and wherein each of the pair of second contacts comprises a second contact portion that contacts a respective one of the one pair of counterpart second contacts in a direction away from the first shell.

7 . The connector according to claim 6 , wherein each of the plurality of first shells comprise a first base portion that accommodates a respective pair of first insulated wires outside the counterpart shell in the mated state, and
wherein each of the plurality of second shells comprise a second base portion that accommodates a respective pair of second insulated wires outside the counterpart shell in the mated state.

8 . The connector according to claim 7 , further comprising a conductive first base plate extending along the arrangement orientation; and
a conductive second base plate extending along the arrangement orientation and facing the first base plate in the orthogonal orientation, wherein the first base portion of each of the plurality of first shells and the second base portion of each of the plurality of second shells are located between the first base plate and the second base plate, wherein the respective pair of first insulated wires are surrounded by the first base portion and the first base plate, and wherein the respective pair of second insulated wires are surrounded by the second base portion and the second base plate.

9 . The connector according to claim 3 , wherein the partition portion of the first shell comprises:
a pair of first side wall portions that face with each other in the arrangement orientation; and a first interconnecting wall portion that interconnects the pair of first side wall portions so that the first shell comprises an opening oriented away from the second shell, wherein the partition portion of the second shell comprises: a pair of second side wall portions that face with each other in the arrangement orientation; and a second interconnecting wall portion that interconnects the pair of second side wall portions so that the second shell comprises an opening oriented away from the first shell.

10 . The connector according to claim 9 , wherein the pair of first side wall portions respectively comprise a pair of first shell contact portions that are oriented away from each other in the arrangement orientation, and each of the pair of first shell contact portions is configured to contact an inner surface of the counterpart shell in the mated state, and
wherein the pair of second side wall portions respectively comprise a pair of second shell contact portions that are oriented away from each other in the arrangement orientation, and each of the pair of second shell contact portions is configured to contact the inner surface of the counterpart shell in the mated state.

11 . The connector according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an insulative first housing that holds the plurality of pairs of first contacts and the plurality of first shells; and an insulative second housing that is formed separately from the first housing and holds the plurality of pairs of second contacts and the plurality of second shells.

12 . The connector according to claim 11 , wherein the first housing comprises a first mating portion that faces the second housing, and
wherein the second housing comprises a second mating portion that mates with the first mating portion so as to prevent relative displacement between the first housing and the second housing along the mating orientation and the arrangement orientation.

Assignees

• I Pex Inc

Inventors

• Tanigawa Tomohiko

Classifications

• H01R43/20 Primary

  for assembling or disassembling contact members with insulating base, case or sleeve · CPC title

• H01R13/518

  for holding or embracing several coupling parts, e.g. frames · CPC title

• H01R13/65915

  Twisted pair of conductors surrounded by shield · CPC title

• H01R13/5045

  different pieces being assembled by press-fit · CPC title

• H01R13/506

  assembled by snap action of the parts · CPC title